Evaluating the Law of Theft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluating the Law of Theft - Essay Example The resulting act was an effort of a committee of parliament, Criminal Law Revision Committee, which was tasked to reform the English law of theft. To ensure that the law captures all those separate laws, substantial definitions were on all circumstances of stealing. The law further makes provisions for criminal proceedings available to one party in a marriage relationship against the partner. The law also makes some amendments to the Post Office Act 1953, besides other enactments and to serve other purposes connected to it. This is about the entire law, but in this analysis we are limited to section 1 only for the purposes of this study (Ramage, S, 2005). In section 1, subsection1 of the Act, a basic definition of the term theft is offered, by which the sections seek to set out what entails the offence of theft. A person will be said to be guilty of the offence if he dishonestly appropriates himself or herself, property belonging to another person, with a clear intention to deprive permanently the other of it. For purposes of legal interpretation, theft and stealing shall be construed accordingly to mean the same thing. Where, stealing can take the place of theft and theft can be said to be stealing. In order to be said that theft has occurred, the thief, according to subsection 2, will appropriate himself with a view to gain or otherwise for his own benefit. The owner of the property then, shall in this case, suffer the loss of enjoying the benefits of the property in which the thief has appropriated himself. The supplementary definitions of terms arising from the definition of theft have been substantially dealt with thereafter from section 2 to 6 (Hooper & Ormerod, 2011). There have been some changes to the act over the years, the latest being as late as 2006. The changes are carried in two major changes (repeals); the Theft Act 1978 and the Fraud Act 2006. The repealing acts does not replace the entire Theft Act 1968, but rather to define further sections which were found to be not sufficient in dealing with more offences that were committed, but the act did not sufficiently cover. The sections include 15, 16 and 18 of the Theft Act 1968 (UK). Section 16 deals with obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception in monetary terms. According to the section pecuniary advantage would result in one becoming richer that he was before the act of deception. It also includes situations where one should have paid for a good or service, in the process one does not gain more money but rather one remains with the money he should have paid. The law faced some challenges in the case of DPP v Ray (1974) AC 370 House of Lords where Ray had gone to a restaurant and ordered a meal with an intention to pay, but left after eating when the waiter left the room. Ray was originally not found guilty by a lower court, but the House of Lords overturned the ruling by allowing the case to go to fresh trial. He was convicted subsequently. The House of Lords held that Ray had a pecuniary advantage since he had not paid. He had deceived by representing himself originally as an honest customer (The Government of the United Kingdom). The danger with this section was that people would represent themselves as honest but decide to be deceptive in the process. The law would let them free if they proof that they did not intend to do so. This

Explain the European motivations for exploration and conquest of the New World Essay Example for Free

Explain the European motivations for exploration and conquest of the New World Essay The discovery of the New World happened to coincide with the spread of European power and culture around the known world. This spread was the result of various developments that had occurred, particularly the following: â€Å"the explosive growth of trade, towns, and modern corporations; the religious zeal generated by the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Reformation;†1 as well as the usual reasons of â€Å"greed, conquest, racism, and slavery. †2 By the time of the 1400s, these and other forces combined to make Europeans search for new lands to conquer and settle, as well as for new people to convert, civilize, or exploit. 3 Columbus’ various voyages to the New World opened the door for more exploration and settlement of the New World. The first European power to make concerted efforts to explore the New World was Spain, and they had three distinct motives: to win over converts to Catholicism; to conquer land; and, to get rich. 4 Eventually following Spain were England and France, both of which had similar motives: to extend their empires into the New World, as well as profit from the establishment of colonies in the New World. Clearly, then, the ultimate goal of exploration and conquest in the New World was to increase power and wealth. 2. Explain the religious persecutions in England that pushed the Separatists into Plymouth and the Quakers into Pennsylvania. Explain how England’s Glorious Revolution also prompted changes in the colonies. The Separatists, also known as the Pilgrims, were forced out of England due to their religious beliefs. They were part of the â€Å"most uncompromising sect of Puritans†¦who had severed all ties with the Church of England. †5 They felt that the Church of England was not completely separated from the Catholic Church. Speaking out against the Church of England led to persecutions by King James I and Anglican officials. 6 The Separatists then fled to Holland, but while there, felt that their children were becoming too Dutch and straying from their staunch Puritan beliefs. As a result, they secured a land patent from the Virginia Company and in 1620, sailed to America. 7 The Quakers were the â€Å"most influential of many radical groups that sprang from†¦the English Civil War. †8 They carried further than any other group the doctrine of â€Å"individual spiritual inspiration and interpretation,† which they called â€Å"the inner light. †9 Doing away with many of the trappings of the Church of England, the Quakers embraced a simple way of life and were extremely pacifist. 10 This did not coincide with the ways of the Anglican Church, and thus, they were persecuted a great deal. They chose to leave England and settle in the New World, where they would be able to practice their beliefs without fear of reprisal. First establishing the colony of New Jersey, they soon migrated to the opposite side of the Delaware River and established the colony of Pennsylvania. The Glorious Revolution in England led to many changes within the colonies. The colonies that had been absorbed into the Dominion of New England – Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey – all reverted to their former governments. 11 They were also able to retain their former status, â€Å"except Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth, which†¦were united under a new charter in 1691 as the royal colony of Massachusetts Bay. †12 Another change was the passage of the Bill of Rights and the Toleration Act in England in 1689, both of which â€Å"limited the powers of the country’s monarchs and affirmed a degree of freedom of worship for all Christians, thereby influencing attitudes – and the course of events – in the colonies. †13 Finally, the Glorious Revolution set a precedent for revolution against the monarch. In other words, it laid the groundwork for the American Revolution, which would free the colonies from British rule. 14 5. Explain how and why the British won the French and Indian War. The French and Indian War was the last of four major wars involving the European powers and their New World colonies. 15 In this particular war, the cause of contention was upper Ohio River valley. Controlled by the French, they became irate when some Virginians moved into the territory to make trade with the Indians easier, as well as to survey land granted to them by King George III. 16 Attempts to warn off the French failed, and eventually warfare broke out in the disputed area. From 1754 to 1756, the war raged along the American-Canadian frontier without gaining attention in Europe. 17 From 1756 until the war ended, it would be merged with the Seven Years’ War in Europe. 18 The change in status of the French and Indian War coincided with a change within the British government. William Pitt became Prime Minister of Britain, and under his leadership, the British would defeat the French. Allied with the Indians, who wanted the French out of their territory, the British utilized their superior naval fleet to cut off French reinforcements and supplies to the New World. 19 The decisive point of the war was the Battle of Quebec in 1759. After two months of attempting to break French defenses, the British were able to find a path that allowed them to get closer to the French camp. In the battle that followed, the British routed the French, thus ending French power in North America. 20

Innovation And Technology Management Media Essay

Innovation And Technology Management Media Essay Ever since cameras were developed, it had evolved into many different types. This report will be focusing on the improvement of different types of camera, from film to digital used by consumers. A few case studies of camera makers will also be included to show how innovation affects each company. A camera is a device that captures images and the images were stored in the device or transmitted to another location. These images may be still or moving images. Still images means photograph while moving images can be videos or movies. The term camera was from the word camera obscura which was an early mechanism used to project images. Camera obscura is an optical device which can project surrounding image on a screen and used in drawing and for entertainment. Camera obscura consists of a box with an opening in one side. The light from an external scene passes through the hole and strikes a surface inside causing an image of the scene being reproduced but was turned upside down, with the color and perspective being preserved. The image will then be projected onto a piece of paper and traced which produced a highly accurate representation of the scene. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Camera_obscura_box.jpg/220px-Camera_obscura_box.jpg Figure 1: Drawing of camera obscura A camera may work with the light of the visible spectrum or with other portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. It generally consists of an enclosed hollow box with an opening in one side for external light to pass through and a recording or viewing surface for capturing the light at the other side. Most of the cameras will have a lens being placed at the front of the cameras opening which is used to gather the incoming light and focus all or part of the image to the recording or viewing surface. The sizes of the opening are mostly controlled by using a diaphragm mechanism but some of them will use a fixed size opening. Most of the cameras today use an electronic image sensor for storing photographs on flash memory. Before that, from the 20th century, photographic films were used For a typical still camera, it takes a photo at a time when the user presses the shutter button unless the user uses continuous fire mode. As for a typical movie camera, it continuously takes 24 film frames per second when the shutter is pressed and holds on until the shutter is released. Some movie camera works by pressing the shutter button once and the second time will stop it. http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcThEehclSMeXPhA1DEisnDoFw1w5_YCT5-6TFcNfv5q30kXSs-p-g http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTxh6ovUrXMGAZPP7tlsthvgrJ5jiMvKJD8swHykuo80AdRgOGT Figure 2: Digital still camera Figure 3: Digital movie camera Until today, cameras has evolved from the camera obscura and continued to change through many generations of photographic technology, including daguerreotypes, calotypes, dry plates, film and different types of digital cameras. Background In the past, camera obscura was used by people for drawing or viewing purposes. In 1827, the first permanent photograph was made using a sliding wooden box camera which used the concept of camera obscura to build. Although camera obscura was already available before 1827, there was no way to preserve the images produced by it apart from manually tracing the images. The preservation of the images was made possible after the invention of photographic lapel processes. These preserved images were then being called as photographs. The earliest cameras were of room sized, which were able to accommodate one or more people inside. By Niepces time, the camera technology had gradually evolved. Cameras became more compact, making portable handheld cameras which were suitable for photography possible. Although cameras technology had been keep improving, a camera in its barest form is still simply a light tight container that used a lens with iris, a shutter that has variable speeds and contains a sensitive piece of media. The media is either film or a digital sensor. http://www.photographica.nu/cameracol/dall273.jpg Figure 4: sliding wooden box camera Types of cameras Currently there are different types of camera in the market. The different types of consumers cameras are as following: Digital camera, a camera that takes video or still photographs by recording images on an electronic image sensor Remote camera, a camera placed by a photographer in areas where the photographer generally cannot be Movie camera, a type of photographic camera which takes a rapid sequence of photographs on strips of film Pocket instamatic camera, a series of inexpensive, easy-to-load camera Single-lens reflex camera, a camera that typically uses a mirror and prism system that permits the photographer to view through the lens and see exactly what will be captured Twin-lens reflex camera, a type of camera with two objective lenses of the same focal length. Video camera, a camera used for electronic motion picture acquisition Camera phone, a mobile phone which is able to capture still photographs and video Mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera, a type of digital system cameras equipped with an interchangeable lens. Technology Developments Film Camera When the first camera was invented, it used an engraving which was placed onto a metal plate coated in bitumen and then exposed it to light. The shadowy areas of the engraving will block the light while the whiter areas allowed the light to react with the chemicals on the plate. When the metal plate was placed into a solvent, an image will appear. The photograph required eight hours of light exposure to create and after appearing, it would soon fade away. In 1839, a more convenient and effective method of photography was developed. Daguerres process fixed the image onto a sheet of silver plated copper. The silver surface was polished and coated in iodine to create a surface that was sensitive to light. The plate was then putted in a camera and exposed for a few minutes. After the image was painted by light, the plate was bathed in a solution of silver chloride. This process created a lasting image which would not change even if exposed to light. With this process, daguerreotype cameras were created. The cameras used in the daguerreotype process were made by opticians and instrument makers. The camera had a sliding box design with lens placed in the front box and a smaller box was slid into the back of the larger box. The focus was controlled by sliding the rear box forward or backwards. When the sensitized plate was placed in the camera, the lens cap would be removed to start the exposure. In 1879, the dry plate consisting of a glass negative plate with a dried gelatin emulsion was invented. The dry plates could be stored for a period of time. With this dry processes, hand held camera was now possible as it absorbed light very quickly. In 1888 the box camera which uses dry plate was introduced. The box camera was a wooden, lighted tight box with a simple lens and shutter that was factory filled with film which allows for 100 shots. The photographer pushed the shutter to produce a negative. Once the film was used up, the camera with the film still in it was mailed to the factory where the film was removed from the camera, processed and printed. The camera was then reloaded with film and returned. In 1889 flexible roll film was invented. The film has a base that was flexible, unbreakable and could be rolled. Emulsions coated on a cellulose nitrate film base made the mass produced box camera a reality. In the mid-1914, 35 mm camera was invented. The camera used 35 mm roll film which was developed based on the flexible roll films. In the early 1940s, color films were brought to the market. These films used the modern technology of dye-coupled colors in which a chemical process connects the three dye layers together to create an apparent color image. In 1948, the first Polaroid camera was sold to the public. The camera allows the photographer to create an instant photograph. The disposable camera was introduced in 1986. It was a single use camera which allowed the photographer to take photo until the film was used up. After which the photographer will send the film for processing and the camera would be disposed. Digital Camera Need to group into sub sections of point and shoot (or known as compact digital cameras), Video cams, digital SLR and include camera phones here. For each section, show examples through the use of pictures. In 1981, the first consumer camera was produced by Sony. It takes still photographs by recording image on an electronic image sensor. Digital and film cameras shared an optical system, typically using a lens with a variable diaphragm to focus light onto an image. In 1986, the first sensor used to detect megapixels was invented by Kodak. In the same year, a prototype for an analog electronic SLR camera which was able to store images digitally was created by Nikon. In early 2000, the first digital SLR directed at consumers was released by Fujifilm. In 2008, mirrorless interchangeable lens camera emerged. Unlike a digital SLR, it does not have a mirror based optical viewfinder. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Leica_M9_Framework.jpg/220px-Leica_M9_Framework.jpg Figure 4: Mirrorless interchangeable lens camera Camera Handphone In 2000, the first camera phone was developed by Sharp. The phone had 0.1 megapixels sensor and 256 color display. In 2003, Samsung introduced the first 1 megapixels camera phone. In the same year, Casio introduces the first 2 megapixels phone. In 2004, Samsung introduced the first 3.2 and 5 megapixels phone. In 2005, Samsung introduced the first 7 megapixels phone. In 2006, Samsung introduces the first infrared camera phone and the first 10 megapixels camera phone. At this time, more than 50% of the world handphone had camera in it. http://c2499022.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/samsung-sch-b600-10-megapixel-cellphone.jpg Figure 5: Samsung 10 megapixels phone In 2007, the first 5 megapixels camera phone with 3x optical zoom was introduced by Samsung. In 2008, Digital Imaging Systems announced first 9 megapixels camera phone and Samsung introduced first 8 megapixels camera phone. In 2009, Samsung introduced first 8 megapixels camera phone with touchscreen and LG launched the slimmest 8 megapixels camera phone. In the same year, Samsung also introduced first 12 megapixels camera phone with 3x optical zoom. In 2010, the first 14 megapixels camera phone was introduced by Altek and Sony ericsson introduced the first 16 megapixels camera phone. At this time, more than 81% of the worlds cell phone had camera in it. In 2012, Nokia introduced the first 41 megapixels camera phone. Nokia 808 Pureview Figure 6: Nokia 41 megapixels camera phone Cases Studies Introduction The purpose of this section is to clearly illustrate that having good innovation and technology strategy management techniques are of paramount importance to sustaining any business. The authors will analyze how major companies such as Canon remain prosperous in the market, while also analyzing the fall of a once hugely successful giant in the imaging business, Kodak. Case study of Kodaks Rise and Fall Rise of Kodak: Kodak was one of the major leading brands and pioneers of the camera making business. Founded in 1880, its rise to dominance of the imaging industry came after its introduction of color films and Instamatic camera to the market in the 1960s.The companys near monopoly of film businesses continued in the 1970s as sales skyrocketed to a point where it had 90% of film and 85% of camera sales in the United States of America according to a 2005 case study for Harvard Business School. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jan/22/john-naughton-kodak-lessons). Fall of Kodak: By the 1980s, the emergence of a serious competitor in Fujifilm and Kodaks dominance in the US market was undermine after Fujifilm gained a share of the market by offering lower-priced film and supplies as well as adopting very aggressive marketing which included winning sponsorship rights to be the official film of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, an opportunity which Kodak ironically passed up. During the 1990s, although Kodak tried to maintain itself as a healthy business by diversifying to other areas of business (including medical ,pharmaceutical (http://www.csub.edu/kej/documents/economic_rsch/2012-04-23.pdf),printers for both consumer and commercial use as well as chemical manufacturing.), these businesses were all bought and not developed in-house leading to income being shared (http://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2012/01/how-fujifilm-survived). Eventually when sales from film developing and printing went into sharp decline nearing year 2000,earnings from these additional businesses simply do not scale up to the revenue gained from its core business which relied on film. In addition to the above, the development of digital photography technology and Kodaks own hesitancy of making the switch from film photography to digital photography proved to be one of the major causes of its eventual demise. This is clearly depicted as even though Kodak was a pioneer of digital cameras (Kodak first introduced it in 1975), the product was dropped as there was fear that it would threaten its core photographic film business which was hugely successful then. Sales and revenue soon begun to go into a decline with the arrival of the digital age and a change in core business model was made ultimately. Kodak soon introduced a range of digital cameras, inkjet printers as well as became one of the first to launch a photosharing website (www.ofoto.com) between the 1990s and 2000s to cope with the need to transform with the digital age. While efforts were made to transform and keep up with the digital photography, its business model and technology strategy was still flawed as Kodak still revolved around the idea of printing photos. For instance, in spite of being pioneers of photosharing online, Kodaks website merely served as a vessel for providing a service for online ordering of prints. (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505143_162-57363629/why-kodak-failed-and-how-to-avoid-the-same-fate/) In addition, the authors observed that despite innovating in the correct direction enjoying huge success with its line of digital cameras in the early 2000s, Kodak failed to anticipate the dynamics of digital photography and had no alternatives when consumers are no longer interested in photo printing but, sharing photos online in social media websites such as Flickr, Instagram and Facebook. Kodak being overly diversified, adopted the wrong technology strategy and did not exploit and capitalize early on a core digital camera technology Kodak pioneered, while investing heavily in developing technology for taking pictures in mobile phones and other digital devices. As a result, this allowed other companies such as Canon, Nikon and Sony to overtake and innovate further to produce hugely successful lines of digital cameras which eventually dominate the digital photography market. Furthermore, Kodaks success with digital cameras was short-lived towards 2010 when smartphones technology advanced and begun to include powerful cameras which are just as capable as the pocket digital cameras that Kodak was manufacturing. The following figure illustrates how camera phones such as the iPhone have gained a strong foothold in the market share of most popular cameras amongst consumers. Conclusion In a nut shell while aligning our observations to the concepts of technology management, there were multiple reasons contributing to the downfall of the once powerful giant in imaging market, Kodak. But this cannot be attributed entirely to the failure of incorrect technology forecasting or a lack of innovation. In fact, a report did circulate among the leaders of Kodak depicting the eventual permanent shift from film to digital by 2010 in 1979. It can also be observed from the earlier part of this chapter that Kodak was not at a shortage in the area of innovation. Consequently, the authors believe that it was not doing the correct technology road mapping which allowed other brands of digital cameras and camera phones to overtake them in the imaging market, leading to its ultimate demise and bankruptcy. This can be broken down into following: -The over reliance on a single product for revenue (film) -Lack of in-house expertise when diversifying into other areas of business -Slow transition from film to digital age -Despite early success, failed to forecast that digital cameras would eventually have low profit margins as more companies entered the market in mid-2000s, along with the emergence of camera phones -Slow transformation from a then overly diversified chemical manufacturer to a company mainly focused on imaging Had Kodak been able to identify and develop technology alternatives before making a better technological investment decision such as perhaps investing in SLR technology or social media websites which allows photosharing such as Flickr, Kodak might have been able to avoid their present predicament. This therefore emphasizes the importance of technology road mapping, as not having alternatives for a set product needs within different timeframes can have detrimental effects on businesses overtime. Case study of Canon Background In this section the authors will analyze how Canon, a company much like Kodak in terms of innovation and diversification of businesses, manage to still stay as one of the major leaders imaging market while facing the same challenges of having to make the switch from film to digital photography and decline of photo printing. Technology Strategy and Forecasting Canon introduced Japans first ever 35-mm focal-plane-shutter camera at a time when all high-quality cameras originated form the Europe, in 1935. Immediately after its founding and similarly to Kodak, it saw the importance of diversification and acted promptly with the introduction of Japans first indirect X-ray cameras, office equipment (calculators) and notably Japans first plain paper copying machine in 1970. As a result, the company adopted the management slogan of cameras in the right hand, business machines in the left and by then the company had already globalized (branches were set up in Europe and New York) successfully as exports took up 50 % of the total sales. Unlike Kodak, Canon continued to emphasize on the importance of in-house expertise by unceasing innovation of technology with the aim of becoming the best in all major business areas, be it in imaging (both medical and consumer) or multifunctional copiers technologies. This is achieved through constant innovation efforts such as setting up collaboration with Kyoto University in joint research projects. Shortly in 1976, Canon introduced the worlds first SLR with embedded micro-computer (AE-1), delivering powerful performance and along with its good ergonomics, propelled it into worldwide popularity among amateur and professional photographers alike, marking the start of its strong foothold in the share of the imaging market besides other current majors such as Nikon and Sony up till now. Besides being a leader in imaging industry, Canon also invested greatly on innovation in the technology of printers for both business and personal use. Its multifunctional copier division was notably very successful enabling it to hold the highest market share in the industry for the last 2 decades. Conclusion While Kodak had started to slip into decline because of its over reliance on film, Canon adopted good technology strategy and demonstrated good technology road mapping by making the best technology investment decisions with focused, continual innovation on camera technology (notably SLRs) and multifunctional copier technology. Hence Canon embraced the decline of films, photoprinting and the gradual replacement of compact digital cameras by smartphones through gaining a strong position in market areas of amateur and professional photography with their innovation in digital SLRs. The figure above shows its dominance in digital photography alone with smartphones. Along with ever changing times, Canon continued to strengthen product competitiveness in major business areas which also includes multifunctional copiers. In conclusion, while Canon had many business areas, Canon were not over-diversified like Kodak and one major difference leading to Canons success in diversification was because of the in-house expertise and technology management Canon had in dedicated business areas, an implication that income would not be shared with other companies as these business areas were not bought. Conclusion Future predictions of camera industry Global Camera Industry The world photographic products market has generated sales of over $55 billion in 2010, according to MarketLine. Cameras are leading the market with a sale close to $35 billion which is more than 60% of the overall market. Growth is expected to be accelerating at a rate of more than 3% every year, bringing the whole market up to over $65 billion by 2015. This consists of cameras, optical instruments, video cameras and other photogenic equipment. Digital photography continues to take over the sales of traditional cameras and films. And this is expected with the upcoming future of the industry Market Outlook However, with technological advances companies will need to continue investing in research and development of new technologies to stay in industrys cutting edge. There will be demands of new technologies of the consumers. As mentioned previously, Canon embraced the decline of films and photoprinting by the innovation of digital cameras. With online photo sharing/storing websites like Flickr, Google Plus or even Facebook, the generation of films and photoprinting is almost over proven by what has happened to Kodak. However smart phone cameras are slowly replacing the digital cameras. (Many often people are taking photos with their iPhone or Samsungs smartphone.) The percentage of photos taken with cameras and smartphones are declining and rising individually. Smartphones now have cameras of great qualities and functionalities in terms of programs known as apps and they will slowly continue to eat into the camera market. This has been shown by the appearance of smartphone picture uploading apps or social media like Instagram, Path, Facebook and many others more. But this may not necessarily remove digital cameras totally off the market. With constant technological advances, cameras with high performance capacity will become cheaper to produce. It will become a cycle that what used to be expensive and high-end products becomes the old technology and is cheaper to produce due to the advances. So low end cameras is becoming something with more advanced features. The consumer video camera market too is declining. Consumers are using their smart phones or DSLR to shoot videos. The video camera market will only move in the higher end markets (video producers, film makers) in the near future. Conclusion From our case studies above, it shows how Kodak and Canon tried applying technology management in their company to produce innovative product to the consumer market. However economic and social factors too play a part in innovation. By looking at Canon, few reasons why they were successful in the imaging market were because of their constant innovation on SLRs , coupled with the fact they were always targeting the market share of photography hobbyists, both in entry levels and professional level photography. However even though incorporating technology and innovative management into a organization does not guarantee 100% success. It depends on many factors such as the society, economic, the current market situation or even any other external factors. Kodak had tried displaying technology and innovation management in the corporation, however they have failed. Their over reliance on a single product for revenue (film), the lack of in-house expertise when diversifying into other areas of business and their slow transition from film to digital age these were the few factors that has caused their downfall of today. Our predications for the next 10 years: à ¢-  3D still and moving pictures will become standard in the next 5 years à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cameras will have more on-board processing software that perfects the final image without the need for a computer à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Images to be printed on and saved to wafer-thin electronic paper called e-paper. Recently showcased by LG this flexible, full colour display is the wave of the future, and could be used in so many different products including e-readers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Immediate upload of your image once taken to your favourite internet site with Bluetooth connection for cameras http://www.firstcall-photographic.co.uk/userfiles/file/digital_imaging_1990-2010.pdf Figure 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camera_obscura Figure 2 3: http://www.sony.com Figure 4: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirrorless_interchangeable-lens_camera Figure 5: http://www.unwiredview.com/2007/01/09/10-megapixel-samsung-sch-b600-phone-nears-worldwide-launch/ Figure 6: http://www.nokia.com/global/products/phone/808pureview/specifications/

The Age Of Reason Essay -- Romanticism Essays

The eighteenth century saw unprecedented growth of literature and the arts in Europe and America. Britain during this time period also enjoyed prolonged periods of civil peace that stood in sharp contrast to the bloody and protracted civil and international conflicts that lasted throughout the 17th century. Furthermore, as the rising middle classes increasingly sought both education and leisure entertainment, the marketplace for artistic production swelled dramatically. One of the most critical elements of the 18th century was the increasing availability of printed material, both for readers and authors. The period was markedly more generally educated than the centuries before. Education was less confined to the upper classes than it had been in centuries, and consequently contributions to science, philosophy, economics, and literature came from all parts of the newly United Kingdom. It was the first time when literacy and a library were all that stood between a person and education . The first half of the century has often been aptly described as the Age of Reason, the Augustan Age and the Neo-classical Age. The very description of this period as Augustan throws light on the prosperity and growth of this period, drawing a direct parallel to the affluent era of Latin literature during the reign of Augustus and in the process, claiming a similar Golden Age of English literature and arts. It was an "age of reason" in that it was an age that accepted clear, rational methods as superior to tradition. The period saw the development and growth of a new attitude towards life and more importantly towards the role of nature around us. Rationalism, as an ideology, gained importance and influenced literary works to a large extent. Rationalism as a philosophical doctrine, asserts that reason and factual analysis, rather than faith, dogma or religious teaching should determine the truth. Such a philosophy provided stability and order to the society and was hence considered as a welcoming change from the chaos that Europe had recently experienced. The Age of Reason, hence, emphasized on the importance to perceive life in a scientific and detached manner. It rejected emotion or fashionable belief and stressed on a more rational, logical and scientific attitude towards life. The discoveries of Isaac Newton, the rationalism of Rà ©nà © Descartes, the skepticism of Pierre Bay... ...ight be taken to include the rise of individualism, as seen by the cult of the artistic genius that was a prominent feature in the Romantic worship of Shakespeare and in the poetry of Wordsworth, to take only two examples; a new emphasis on common language and the depiction of apparently everyday experiences; and experimentation with new, non-classical artistic forms. Romanticism also strongly valued the past. Old forms were valued, ruins were sentimentalized as iconic of the action of Nature on the works of man, and mythic and legendary material which would previously have been seen as "low" culture became a common basis for works of "high" art and literature. Romanticism played an essential role in the national awakening of many Central European peoples lacking their own national states, particularly in Poland, which had recently lost its independence. Revival of ancient myths, customs and traditions by Romanticist poets and painters helped to distinguish their indigenous cultures from those of the dominant nations (Russians, Germans, Austrians, Turks, etc.). Patriotism, revolution and armed struggle for independence also became popular themes in the arts of this period.

Tata Nano †a Study on Business Challenges in India

TATA NANO – A STUDY ON BUSINESS CHALLENGES IN  INDIA Introduction Tata Nano, pet project of the chairman of the Tata Group Mr. Ratan Tata was a car which was expected to change the face of automobile sector in India. In the highly competitive small-car market of India, Tata Nano promised to set the bar so high that it would become extremely difficult for the competitors to match. The dream of owning a car for as little as Rupees 1 lakh (Rs. 100,000 – roughly USD2500) was too tempting for millions of Indians who cannot afford even a small car.The kind of extensive media coverage Tata Nano received right from the day it was announced through the entire period until the first units were handed over to the owners was something that its competitors dreamed of. However, after two years of launch, the Tata Nano manufacturing plant at Sanand in Gujrat, India is running at around 20% utilization. People’s Car- It is a common sight in india to see an entire family of fou r travelling on a two-wheeler in heavy traffic and bad road conditions all through the year. Car Ownership across countries – Present and FutureAs can be seen from the IMF report above, car ownership in India is expected to grow exponentially in the coming decades. India’s Growth in GDP Per Capita Combining the predictions about car ownership in India with the growth in GDP per Capita in India, we can clearly see why the automobile sector, especially the small car market is one of the most competitive sectors in India at present. In a market like this, a car like Tata Nano had the potential to sell like hot cakes. But it didn’t. Let us now try and understand why Tata Nano was not able to meet industry expectations. Reasons for SetbacksTata Nano (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Too Many Crises – Since its launch with great fanfare in 2009, the Nano has survived from one crisis to another. There was opposition to Tata’s original plans to site the factory in West Bengal, as discussed later, forcing a last-minute scramble to switch the site to Sanand. It opened last summer, but not enough cars came off the production line to fulfill the early orders. To make matter worse, a few cars catching fire on road, raising fears about the Nano’s safety. Price –Nano’s price, which was supposed to be its USP, is apparently one of the major reasons behind its low sales.For majority of Indians, owning a car is not about utility or mobility; it is a dream, ambition and status symbol; just like a house. So, the low price of Nano does not turn it into an asset. It becomes more like a commodity. Also, the initial marketing and promotion of Nano gave the average consumer the idea that owning a Nano would somehow be a confirmation of their poverty, and not a way to get out of it. Ironically, a big number of Nano’s buyers buy Nano as their second or third car after already owning another car. This segment is not the segment initi ally targeted by Tata.Resale-The re-sale car market gives stiff competition to the Nano. A 3-4 year old used car originally costing 3-4 lakh in on-road price (like Chevrolet Spark and Maruti Alto) can pose a stiff challenge to Nano given the relative price-parity that emerges when it comes to re-sale. For instance, Nano’s Mumbai on-road price for Std BSIII model pegged at 1. 51 lakhs is a few walks away from the Rs. 2 lakh plus used-car-version ‘Spark’. People, who may go for the advanced model Nano Cx BSIII, may consider opting for ‘Spark’ or ‘Alto’ given that the said Nano model costs around 1. 2 lakh rupees. In fact, Nano seems to have failed to pose a challenge to the market players in this re-sale car niche segment. Needless to say, there is not much value extracted from a Nano upon resale either. Rescuing Nano – To improve Nano’s market performance, Tata motors is trying to expand to other regions searching new market s for Nano. Given its modular design, Nano can be assembled and manufactured in practically everywhere on the planet. Hence, Tata is looking at SAARC nations, Latin America and other regions, where the economic conditions are similar to India.Also, Tata is contemplating coming up with Nano electric models and even a Nano diesel version After suffering setbacks with the initial market response, Tata Motors hired Carl-Peter Forster, a former boss of General Motors Europe as head of Tata Motors in February 2010. After taking charge, Forster realized that he will have to reinvent the Nano business model. There was no real national distribution scheme, very little marketing and advertising, and no effective system of consumer finance. The irony was that many rural Indians never got to hear bout or have the opportunity to see the car that was supposed to help transform their lives. Issues with Nano The Nano’s marketing problems began with its product positioning. The price crept up by around 15%, putting it out of the reach of first-time buyers with no regular employment or payslips to back an application for credit. And by emphasising its cheapness rather than its basic but appealing qualities, it deterred slightly better-off consumers who could afford one but aspired to more sophisticated vehicles, such as those from Tata’s biggest rival, Maruti, the leader in India’s small-car market.Political Controversies – Nine months after the Tata Nano was unveiled to much fanfare, and with only weeks before the first car was scheduled to roll off the assembly line, Tata announced it was pulling out of West Bengal where work was near complete on the assembly plant. Company Chairman Ratan Tata noted that Tata Motors had already invested 15b rupees (US$343m) in the small car project. But they had forgotten a vital detail which is a must for big investors looking to start big-idea investments on land owned by poor, mostly illiterate peasants in devel oping countries.At the bottom of the Singur peasant resistance was the need for a land reform that enables peasants to have real choices on whether to continue farming or do something else. For Tata Nano, the government of West Bengal persuaded more than 10,000 peasants in Singur to accept compensation for 1000 acres of farmland on which the Nano plant would be built. However, almost right from the start, as many as 2000 peasants refused the compensation, and demanded their land back. Farmers complained that the state communist government forcibly took their land to give to Tata.With the help of the opposition parties, peasants opposed to the land acquisition filed petitions in court. In January, a Calcutta High Court threw out all the complaints, ruling that there was â€Å"no violation of the Land Acquisition Act or any other regulation† by the West Bengal government in acquiring the land. But never ever underestimate the tenacity of angry peasants. When legal avenues were shut, Singur peasants took to the streets, organising daily protests and roughing up workers employed of the Nano factory.As the protesters grew more menacing, Ratan Tata was forced to acknowledge the possibility of never seeing a single Nano roll off the plant in Singur. While Tata was contemplating the future of his pet project, ad one of the most audacious projects in the history of Tata Motors, Narendra Modi – the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Gujrat approached him and promised to provide all support needed for Tata to move the plant form Singur to Sanand. Finally, Tata decided to move to Sanand and the first Nano rolled off the assembly lines at Sanand soon after.Yet, even as it managed to relocate and hit the market with slight delay, Tata needs to reflect on what happened in Singur to avoid running into the same problem elsewhere. Part of the problem was lack of clear and transparent negotiation between peasant representatives, Tata and the government of West B engal. Although the West Bengal government gave peasants compensation package that was way above the going rate, the lingering perception among the peasant was that a huge chunk of the money was creamed off by corrupt government officials.To avoid this perception, true or false, Tata should have negotiated directly with peasants, by-passing the West Bengal government. Secondly, even as Tata boasted of an initial start-up of 250,000 Nanos from the Singur plant, providing thousands of jobs to residents, it failed to make Singur residents take ownership of the plant. To the people of Singur, wealthy Tata was coming to grab their land to make billions of dollars for itself. Nano on Fire –  To make matters worse, three Nanos have caught fire because of some reason or the other since its launch raising serious questions about its safety and severely damaging its Brand Equity.Though Tata Motors has not commented on the reasons behind the fires, there has been strong word-of-mouth negative publicity towards the car. Recommendations Tata Nano has been a very interesting case about studying business in India and other emerging markets. It has seen some very interesting highs and lows which are unique to the Indian market. However, following recommendations can be made: 1. Clean up the Brand Image – Nano first of all needs to re-establish itself as a credible brand. This might be the hardest thing to do given the beating the brand image has taken because of the fires.Nano would need to aggressively work on its PR and show how the accidents are not because of flaws in Nano’s design but because of some unfortunate external factors. 2. Define a clear Marketing Strategy – Nano needs to have marketing strategies to target its real consumer segment which is the masses of India and showcase the Nano as an aspirational product for them instead of coming across as an accessory for the rich. 3. Focus on Other Countries – Export Nano to Indonesi a, Eastern Europe and also Brazil as well as Southeast Asia where it can be sold without the bad name it has earned in India. . Use Shareholder base of Tata – Tata Motors have a shareholder base of around 350,000 right now. It could be utilized to boost Nano sales through discounts etc. 5. Rework on Pricing – when Nano started, a major challenge was to prove whether it was possible to manufacture a car which can be sold at the price of Rs. 1 lakh. That point has been proven. The real challenge now is creating profitable car business. If Tata starts pricing its Nano in a range where it is more cost-effective, it would first, reduce the losses Tata incurs per car, as well as give the brand a facelift.

The Formalisation Of The Social Work Practice Social Work Essay Essay Example

The Formalisation Of The Social Work Practice Social Work Essay Essay Example The Formalisation Of The Social Work Practice Social Work Essay Essay The Formalisation Of The Social Work Practice Social Work Essay Essay The facet of this essay is to understand the cardinal features of a profession and how it relates to the formalization of the societal work pattern. This will be turn toing the chief elements of a profession including specialised cognition which can be related theoretically cognition, in other words professionals seting theory into pattern and how it develops their competence of their work. The importance of making and preparation ; as to why making and preparation is indispensable furthermore, separating the difference between the traditional makings such as in the 1970s known as the Certificate in Social Services ( CSS ) to the current Social Work grade classs. Another constituent of a profession is the importance of liberty and how it can impact on a societal worker in footings of decision-making. For illustration, societal workers may meet liberty when it comes to commanding their ain personal businesss. However, in relation to the demands of service users, they may be issues of trouble organizing relationships with the service users as the inordinate sum of caseloads or high public and service demands. This may do an condensation within the services and the service users because the importance of liberty is holding duties to yourself and the services you offer at the same clip. The ethical guidelines as to what is and non acceptable within a profession. Associating to societal work, the essay will discourse what model that has been set up to guarantee ethical positions are taking into history. The British Association of Social Workers ( BASW ) is one of the facets that recognised the cardinal rules of ethical ethical motives and positions. Finally, the essay will discourse the different types of regulative models that were introduced to keep high criterions of attention for the demands of the service users. A profession means a group of people that are specialised in a peculiar business. For illustration, an person that is a physician can be specialised in kids, therefore their business would be called baby doctors. Profession consists of professionals that have the same involvement, accomplishments based on theoretical cognition. Therefore it is of import that professionals should hold extended period of instruction to act upon the competence of their profession. Hodson and Sullivan ( 2005, p. 258 ) implies that profession is a high position and knowledge-based business that is characterised by the Hallmarks of a profession . The trademark of profession suggest profession is split into 4 chief constituents that are based on abstract, specialized cognition, liberty, Authority over low-level occupational groups and a certain grade of selflessness. Specialized cognition consists of theoretical, practical and techniques. The theoretical cognition would concentrate on theoretical guidelines as to what is expected by professionals. In dealingss to societal work, theoretical cognition is a important component to their profession as seting theory into pattern ; it helps sociables workers develop to believe critically and analytically. Oke ( 2008 ) suggest that one manner of associating theory into pattern is known as issue-based attack to acquisition ( IBL ) . IBL encourages meaningful acquisition as for illustration, treating information from a beginning can assist promote a automatic procedure of thought as it explore further on about thoughts and theorize in ways you can set the theories into pattern. By agencies of societal workers using the IBL efficaciously, it would heighten societal workers to work proactively as they would be capable of authorising schemes support the demands and wants of the service users. The competency o f cognition is a cardinal to profession as Payne ( 2005 p. 185 ) suggests professionalism, associated with increasing administration alongside increasing cognition and power. Therefore, this may associate to entry of making, the higher the making the more competent on their apprehension of seting theories into pattern. Learning new information invariably develops the self-knowledge and enables to travel in-depth of apprehension. Harris ( 2003 pp.133-4 ) argued that societal work preparation helps societal workers become a competent and accountable professionals . This may be a combination of educational establishment and societal work bureaus. The Central Council for Education and Training in Social work ( CCETSW ) supported the preparation strategy financially through the cardinal authorities. Before the mid-1980 s when the CCETSW introduced the certification in Social Services ( CSS ) , the inclination was pupils that obtained the CSS were more likely to go societal workers. Higham ( 2006, p. 16 ) argued that this meant people that worked within societal attention did nt suit in with the model with societal workers in the 1970 s. This is because obtaining the making became demanding between societal work and societal attention, hence the CCETSW was worried if there was suited sum of preparation resources available for societal attention staff that was desired to go a qualified societal worker. Matching to Horner ( 2009 p.94 -5 ) , he signified that since the outgrowth of the Diploma in Social Work ( DipSW ) in 1989 there has been an addition of societal workers. This could associate to the discontinued of the CSS making in 1992 ended and the start of preparation classs including worked-based vocational making emerged such as National Vocational Qualification ( NVQs ) . In 1992 the National Standards for Training and Development introduced the Worked-based vocational making which was made with a difference as there was no set course of study, specified programmes or examination- it was assessment based. Before there were societal attention workers that were already employed but did non accomplish a formal making as it was non regarded at that clip. Higham ( 2006 ) argued that statistics shows in the twelvemonth 2000 around 80 % of the work force did nt non obtain a making or had making that was non related to their business. This shows there was deficiency of competence within societ al attention professions which may hold compelled issues associated with insufficiency of coverage and recording processs, keeping confidentiality, truth of information and taking into history of the current policies and processs. The DipSW does non be any longer ; people that are developing to go societal workers would now necessitate The Social Work degree class to go a qualified societal worker. Chiefly, the formalization of developing based on societal work emerged from societal attention. Traditionally, society viewed societal work and societal attention as a synonymous profession. Steadily societal work had developed acknowledgment in relation to their profession which had gained them distinctive features than the societal attention profession. However, both professions overlap each other and organize a relationship together to ease people with their quality of life. Autonomy is another portion of a profession harmonizing to the four trademarks. It is common that professionals have a inclination to command their ain personal businesss based on their professional accomplishments and cognition. Social work values autonomy in footings of determination devising. For illustration, societal workers may demand liberty in footings of constructing a relationship with the service users more than the heavy caseloads they may meet as the unjust caseloads can forestall societal workers from undertaking efficaciously the issues that may take to put on the line upon service users. Roe ( 2006, p.15 ) study emphasises with societal workers because he argues that they are constrained by line direction agreements that require escalation of determination doing up a concatenation of bid in order to pull off budgets or hazard . This argues that societal workers are refrained from professional liberty as the consequence of force per unit area of their line directio n ; this suggest that line directions chief precedence in footings of determination devising is to see appropriate determination doing takes topographic point ( taking into consideration manageable budgets and the bar against hazard towards service user ) . Others may reason that there is deficiency of professional liberty within societal work because of the limitation from the populace and within the service demands. Social workers are perceived as authorized professionals that are entitled to independent determination devising in order to run into the demands of service users ; Harkness and Kadushin ( 2002, p 468 ) suggest that professional liberty is about holding duties to themselves and the services they offer. Therefore, if there was a lack of liberty within the societal workers, this would strongly wide services and societal workers would accordingly experience greater force per unit area from the populace and other bureaus of presenting their full potency due to the boundar ies of what they may meet. An issue that may originate for a societal worker is it acceptable to follow their inherent aptitude to protect and run into the demands of the service user, even though it may be unacceptable within the regulations and ordinances of the profession. Prolonging liberty in a societal work profession is imperative as it promotes societal workers to actively prosecute with other multi- bureau professionals which would hike their assurance and helped them make their full potency. In relation to a grade of selflessness, there are codifications of moralss for professionals within any business that are put in topographic point for professionals to seek counsel through competence, pattern and admiting the complexness of state of affairss. In other words, it is recognised as a systematic model as to what is ethically acceptable. On the other manus, codification of moralss within professionals offers counsel for every credible state of affairs, which means it can be perceived as generic and non the usage of specific regulations. Despite the codifications of moralss being generic, it plays a function for the societal work proviso. The British Association of Social Workers ( BASW ) introduced the codifications of moralss for societal work, values and rules that established the five chief key rules such as human self-respect and worth, societal justness, service to humanity, unity and competency ; they were put in topographic point to guarantee that in dealingss to st ruggles and revelation is honest, just and accurate. Besides to do certain professionals are compliant with the statute laws and ordinances. Despite, codifications of moralss can be misinterpreted or ignored by professionals ; non merely may the hazard of disciplinary action, but this as a consequence put the service users at hazard. However, it is of import within the societal work profession for societal workers to do mature determination every bit good as apprehension and taking into history the value of issues that societal workers may confront. It is important for professionals to follow the cognition and accomplishments gained through experience and makings in order transportation the accomplishments achieved to assist advance new functions and attacks to run intoing the demands of the service users. Within a profession there are codifications of pattern which is expected by employees to follow and set into pattern ; it normally consists of the lineations of behavior. The significance of the codifications of pattern would guarantee high criterions of their occupation functions are being met. This would non merely profit the profession as a whole but besides the employees, employers and the wider society. Comparison to the societal work profession, they have a similar construct as a scope of administrations had been put in topographic point to guarantee that it promotes high criterions within the profession. To keep the confidence, ordinance within the service ( including instruction and preparation ) and affairs of misconduct was a high precedence harmonizing to the UK authorities. These administrations included The Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2000 ( SCIE ) , The Commission for Social Care Inspection, 2004 ( CSCI ) , The General Social Care Council, 2003 ( GSCC ) and Sk ills for Care this was known as the large four Horner ( 2009, p 118 ) . Each of ordinance has their ain intent to guarantee high criterions of attention were precedence. The SCIE chief duty is to guarantee that societal attention professionals are able to place and widen cognition about good pattern such as counsel and developing professional criterions. The CSCI chief responsibility is guarantee that review and monitoring services within the wellness and societal attention services were affirmatory quality of protecting service users or patients from possible hazard of the service users or patients demands. Furthermore, The GSCC regulates societal workers including societal attention professionals by locating them onto a registry. The registry ensures merely professionals with the needed making and adhered the occupational criterions are echt to working with service users particularly the vulnerable. Furthermore, the Skills for Care modulate the preparation processes within the s ocietal sector. This may include developing makings and measuring the societal sector developing demands to guarantee competence within cognition is changeless throughout the preparation that is supplied to the societal attention and societal work professionals. Overall, the regulative models may hold different missions but they all form a relationship that supports and promotes quality criterions to the staffs, services and developing within the societal attention proviso. Regulations are of import within a profession to guarantee professionals are carry throughing the functions satisfactory and sensitively harmonizing to the public involvement. It is of import that the Social work profession should be able to place when the criterions are to some extent weakness, it should take instant action as it is their duty as a profession to take the taking function in professional administration. This will forestall drastic quandaries which can damage the profession position. To reason, to an extent societal work can be said to be a professional as comparison to a profession with a societal work profession there are similarities. In relation to knowledge, the societal work professionals would hold some grade of theoretical cognition. For illustration, harmonizing to Payne the power of professionalism involves the competency through cognition. This may reason that societal workers who obtained a societal work grade would hold higher making alongside increasing cognition and authorization as they more understanding of seting theoretical claims into pattern. In relation to developing profession necessitate preparation to maintain up to day of the month with current accomplishments, statute laws and knowledge so that they can supply a better service to their clients. Social work profession has a history of different attacks to preparation and development to a point of needed a degree alternatively of a sheepskin to go a societal worker. Professional liberty w ithin profession is about professionals covering with their ain personal businesss. Corresponding, societal work is between decision-making and taking into consideration ethical positions as to what is acceptable. To a grade of selflessness professionals would seek counsel through competence, experiences and understanding complexness of quandary. This construct is the same factor for a societal work profession as societal workers would necessitate to follow their codification of pattern coherently. To guarantee that the profession is run intoing the codifications of pattern, ordinance is maintained through administrations including the SCIE, CSCI, GSCC and Skills for attention. In general, societal work can be recognised as a profession. Furthermore, throughout the old ages Social work profession repute has been damage to extent as qualified societal workers go forthing the profession as they feel it is demanding profession.